Ask the Author: Kate Carlisle
Answered Questions (4)
Kate Carlisle
Thank you for stopping by, Lois.
I like the idea of home makeovers, though the reality of living through construction is somewhat less glamorous. If only we could skip from "before" to "after" without all the hassle of "during." :) A couple years ago, we had our kitchen renovated (then moved shortly after), and it was quite a challenge trying to write while construction was going on.
My father was a contractor for many years, and my brother was a house painter in San Francisco, specializing in Victorians, so they were a great inspiration behind the Fixer-Upper Mysteries. My brother is also one of the first people I turn to when I need the answer to a question about Victorian construction. It's good to have family connections!
I like the idea of home makeovers, though the reality of living through construction is somewhat less glamorous. If only we could skip from "before" to "after" without all the hassle of "during." :) A couple years ago, we had our kitchen renovated (then moved shortly after), and it was quite a challenge trying to write while construction was going on.
My father was a contractor for many years, and my brother was a house painter in San Francisco, specializing in Victorians, so they were a great inspiration behind the Fixer-Upper Mysteries. My brother is also one of the first people I turn to when I need the answer to a question about Victorian construction. It's good to have family connections!
Kate Carlisle
OMG, wasn’t Malice fun??? (For those who don’t know, Malice Domestic is an annual conference for fans of traditional mystery. Authors and readers mingle. I had so many fan-girl moments, as well! I posted pictures on my Facebook page, if you want to see some of the terrific mystery authors I met.) It was so great to meet you, too, Stephanie! Congratulations again on winning the Malice Domestic award. I hope we'll keep in touch.
To your question… Becky Wainwright is wholly her own person, but aspects of her were inspired by many people in my life. Her nurturing and fun-loving sides were inspired by my own mother, whom I adored. My mother was more traditional than Becky, though. That said, I’m a child of the seventies, lived for a time on a commune, and spent pretty much my entire life in southern California. I know and respect lots of people who share Becky’s belief system. It’s been a fun challenge to create characters like Becky and Jim, to make them colorful but not cartoonish. I hear from readers all the time about how much they love Becky and Jim, which is truly gratifying.
To your question… Becky Wainwright is wholly her own person, but aspects of her were inspired by many people in my life. Her nurturing and fun-loving sides were inspired by my own mother, whom I adored. My mother was more traditional than Becky, though. That said, I’m a child of the seventies, lived for a time on a commune, and spent pretty much my entire life in southern California. I know and respect lots of people who share Becky’s belief system. It’s been a fun challenge to create characters like Becky and Jim, to make them colorful but not cartoonish. I hear from readers all the time about how much they love Becky and Jim, which is truly gratifying.
Kate Carlisle
Hi, Monica! Thanks for dropping by. I'm a lifelong lover of the book arts. Since I was a child, I've taken classes in bookbinding and papermaking and everything related to the process of making books. I love books as objects, not just for the words and images on the pages. (As an aside, can I just say I do *not* understand the home decorating shows that put books on the shelves backwards so all you can see are the pages???? Wouldn't that drive you crazy, not knowing which book was which????)
I'm certainly not a pro, but I consider myself to be a serious amateur. It's more than a hobby for me; it's an avocation.
I've also been a traditional mystery fan ever since I first discovered Nancy Drew and Hercule Poirot. So the idea of writing a mystery series had great appeal to me, but I wanted my heroine to be in a nontraditional occupation, not a hard-boiled detective.
That's how I came up with the idea for Brooklyn Wainwright, world-class bookbinder and amateur sleuth. I've been delighted by reader reaction to the series, especially to the scenes that show Brooklyn at work, bringing classic books to their full potential. They're a lot of fun for me to write, and reader enthusiasm means the world to me.
I'm certainly not a pro, but I consider myself to be a serious amateur. It's more than a hobby for me; it's an avocation.
I've also been a traditional mystery fan ever since I first discovered Nancy Drew and Hercule Poirot. So the idea of writing a mystery series had great appeal to me, but I wanted my heroine to be in a nontraditional occupation, not a hard-boiled detective.
That's how I came up with the idea for Brooklyn Wainwright, world-class bookbinder and amateur sleuth. I've been delighted by reader reaction to the series, especially to the scenes that show Brooklyn at work, bringing classic books to their full potential. They're a lot of fun for me to write, and reader enthusiasm means the world to me.
Kate Carlisle
Hi, Lorraine. Thanks so much for stopping by. I sell the rights to my stories to my publisher, and they decide in which format to print them. The Bibliophile Mysteries started out in paperback, as well (which was ironic, considering that the title of the first book is HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER.) Once they built up a large enough readership, they moved to hardcover debuts and then paperback reissues the following year. That may happen with the Fixer-Upper Mysteries, as well, at some point.
I hope you're looking forward to ONCE UPON A SPINE in, yes, hardcover in June! :D
I hope you're looking forward to ONCE UPON A SPINE in, yes, hardcover in June! :D
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May 12, 2017 05:30AM